Circuit-controlling apparatus.



K. L. CURTIS.

CIRCUIT CONTROLLING APPAHATS. APPLicATIoN man APR.15,'1916.

1,294,41 1.. A Patented F9518, 1919;

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K. L. CURTIS.

CiRCUIT CONYROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATIGN FILED APR. l5, 1916.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.`

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UNTTED sTATEs PATENT onirica.

KENNETH L. CURTIS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ALBERT AND J'. M.

ANDERSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY. 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPO- RATION OF MAINE. Y

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

,a y Application filed April 15, 1916. Serial N o. 91,452.

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, KENNETH L. CURTIS,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and VState of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Circuit-Controlling Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a circuit controlling apparatus of novel construction, which is especially designed and adapted for use as a reverse current relay, and is operated by a reversal of the current in the circuit to which the said relay is applied, said relay being designed to be used for protecting apparatus included in'said circuit.

The invention has for its object to provide a reverse current relay which is highly sensitive and efficient in operation,v is inexpensive to construct and is reliable in operation.

The particular features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at theend of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a reverse current relay embodying this invention.

Fig. 2, a rear end elevation looking toward the left in Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 3, a horizontal section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1, looking upward.

Fig. 4, an enlarged detail in section on vline 4 4, Fig. 9.

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, details of the magnetizable members.

Fig. 9, a detail in elevation looking toward the right in Fig. 1, and

, Fig. 10, a detail in plan to be referred to.

Referring to the drawing a, b, represent two magnetizable members, which are spaced Aapart and arranged substantially parallel to eachother andare magnetically connected at their upper ends as will be described.

Each of the membersa, b, is made as herein shown as' a substantially oblong frame comprising substantially parallel sides 10, 12, of unequal length, a .cross bar 13 connecting said sides at their upper ends, and arms 14, 15, extended in substantially parallel planes from' fthe lower ends of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

sides 10, 12, toward each other so as to have their ends overlap.

The sides 10, 12, cross bar 13, and arms 14, 15, of each frame or member a, are preferably composed of laminations or thin strips or sheets ofsteel, which laminations are fastened together by rivets 16 or otherwise, and the sides 10, 12, cross bar 13, and arms 14, 15, are preferably made separate from one another and suitably fastened together.

The ends of the arms 14, 15, form poles for the magnetizable members a, b, and the latter are reversely arranged, that is, with the short side 10 of one frame as a inthe same vertical plane with the long side 12 Y of the frame and vice versa, so that the arms 14 are in the same horizontal plane and the arms 15 are in a horizontal `plane below the plane in which the arms 14 are located, whereby the north pole of one magnetizable member as a is in the same horizontal plane with the south pole of the member and the north pole of the member is in the same horizontal plane as the south pole of the member a. The members a, for the best results are metallically connected at their upper ends by steel bars or rods 20, which may be located at the ends of the cross bars 13, (see Fig. 10),

and are secured to said cross bars and side bars 10, 12, by screws 21, thebars or rods 2O als; serving as spacing bars for the members a, v

The magnetizable members a, b, have cooperating with them an armature comprising a soft iron-core 22, which is continuously magnetized by a coil- 23, connected in circuit with a battery 24 or other extraneous source of direct current. The coil 23 is provided as shownwith a covering 25 of insulation and is mounted on a center sleeve 26 of brass or other non-magnetic material, which ,is of larger diameter than thek core 22, the latter being extended through said sleeve and secured asfby screws 27 to a-.movable carrier, herein shown as an open frame 28, which is pivoted at 29 to a stationary frame 3,0, which latter is secured to the magnetizable members a, b. The sleeve 26 is stationary, and 'in the present instance, has its'ends extended between the arms 14, 15,

relay, and the said armature is attracted in one direction by poles N S of the long arms 15, of themembers d, as shown in Figs.

5 and 6, when a current is traversing in one direction the circuit to which the relay is applied, which circuit is represented by the laminated bus barv` 32, which is extended through the members a, b, and is separated therefrom by insulation 33, and said armay ture is repelled by said poles of the long arms 15 oi the members a, and is attracted by the poles of the short arms 14, when the current is reversed in the circuit represented by the bus bar.

"In this latter case, the polarity of the poles of the members a, b, is reversed as indicated by NT S in Figs.. 7 and 8. When the reverse current disappears from the circuit and the current again Hows in its normal direction, they polarity shown in Figs. 7 and 8,' is again changedto thatshown in Figs.l5 and 6', andas soon as the reverse current disappears, the core 22 is lowered into its nor- `inal"positioirshown inFigs.- 5 and 6, which "position is lalsol thatshown inFig. 1, by a spring 61. AThese movements of the armature or core 22 are utilized to control other apparatus by means of coperating relay contacts, and in the present instance I haveillustrated one construction or form of relay contacts which may be preferred by me. K In the present instance the movable armature carrier or 'frame 28 has secured to it a movable Contact member. preferably a carbon wheel or dish 35, which coperates with two spring brushes or arms 36, 37 (see Fig. 9) constituting the stationary vcontact member Vfor kthe relay. The carbon disk 35 is loosely mounted upon a screw 38 see Fig. 4), which is carried b v a metal plate or upright 39 and retained thereon bya nut'40. i

@The metal plate 39 is secured to the/,front cross bar 41 of the armature frame or carrier 28 (see,l 3 and`9) b v screws 42.l which are 'separatedby insulation V43 from said plate, -and the latter isseparated from the metal frame 28 by insulationv44.

vThe spring armsor brushes 36, 37 have their lower ends located on opposite sides of theinovable member' 35 and are secured to themetal Varms' 50, v51, fastened as by screws 52 tothe opposite ends of a block 53 of insulating material, which block is fastened as by screws 54 to a cross bar 55-,attached to or forming part ofthe stationar'ygframe 30 A(see Figs. 1 and 9.)

' said brushes apart. To insure superior contact between the disk 35 and the brushes 36,

37, the latter may be provided with inclined portions 58 :(,see ,F ig. 9).

`The relay 'contacts or brushes 36, 37, are included in a circuit represented by the wires 59, 60, Fig. 9, which circuit is closed by the engagement of the contact member 35 with thevcontact brushes 36, 37.

Under normal conditions, namely, with current, flowing in thevproperr direction inthe circuit represented bythe bus bar 32, the relay contact 35 is disengaged'fromthe contacts 36, 37, which iseliected bythe 'spring 61 connected with the vrear endof the armature carrying,frame-28,and the distancethe relay contact 35 isseparated from .the contacts 36, 37, is Vdetermined by a .back

stop or lscrew 62 (see Fig. ,1) with which `the front end or' the armature carrying frame 1s engaged.

, The rear end ofthe armature carrying frame has coperating with it a screw-63, which acts as astopvfor the said Jframe and serves toV limit4 the upward movement .of .the front end .of the frame and thereby avoid injury to the contact brushes ,36,-37when the contact member 35 is engaged therewith. The tension of the spring 61 maybe regulated by adjusting nuts 163, 64, on a screw rod 65l to which the upper end of said spring is connected, and said spring is normally adjusted so as t0 lower the armature as soon as the reverse currentV ceases to Aflow -through the circuit represented by the bus bar 32.

The reverse current relay herein shown and describedfis designed to completeV the circuit 59, 60, whenever a reversal of current occurs in the circuit represented by the bus bars, 32, so as toprotect theelectrical apparatus which could in any way be injuredby a reversalin thedirection of-flowy of the current in the circuit represented by the bus bar. As an ,example of `the use of the reverse current relay, the circuitrepresented bythe bus bar, may include a circuit breaker ,or switch of knowny construction, which isprovided .with an electricltripping coil .or device. and this coil or device is included inthe to open the circuit represented by the bus bar, thereby preventing any apparatus connected with or included in said bus bar cir cuit from being injured by the reverse current.

The type of circuit breaker referred to is well known and it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate the same.

The armature or core 22 forms part of a magnetic circuit, which under normal conditions may be traced as follows: from the N pole of the core 22, Fig. 5, to S pole of member a; thence through the arm 15, side bar 12, cross bar 13, tie bars 20 to cross bar 13 of member b Fig. 6; thence by side bar 12 to N pole of arm 15; thence by S pole of core 22, back to N pole of the latter.

When the current is reversed, the magnetic circuit may be traced as follows Froml 1T pole of core 22, Fig. 7, to S pole of member a, thence by arm 14, side bar 10, cross bar 13, tie bars 20, to cross bar 13 of member thence by side bar 10, arm 14, to pole N of said arm, thence by S pole of core 22 back to N pole of the latter.

Inasmuch as a superior quality of steel is -obtained in thin sheets or strips, a superior magnetic circuit and a more sensitive device is obtained by making the members a, b, in laminated form, and in addition the expense of construction is reduced.

Furthermore by making the armature or core 22 of soft iron and magnetized by a coil, which is included in an extraneous direct current circuit, the polarity of the core is maintained the same under all conditions of use, With corresponding etfectiveness in the apparatus under all conditions of use.

I have herein shown one construction of apparatus embodying the invention, but it is not desired to limit the invention to the particular construction shown.

Claims:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, magnetizable members spaced apart and each comprising substantially parallel side bars, a cross bar connecting said side bars and arms extended from said side bars toward each other in diii'erent planes and having their free ends overlapped, means for magnetically tying said members together, an armature having the opposite ends of its core extended between the crms of said members, a coil surrounding said core and connected with a source of direct current, a movable carrier for said armature, a cont-act member con-A nected with said carrier to move therewith, and a contact member coperating with the contact member movable with said carrier.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, substantially parallel magnetizable members. each comprising an open frame having side bars of unequal length, a top cross bar, and arms extended toward each other from said side bars, the free ends of said arms constituting magnetic poles, magnet-izable means connecting the substantially parallel frames at their upper ends, an armature extended from frame to frame and having the ends of its core cooperating with the poles of said frames, a contact member movable with said armature, and a contact member coperating With the first-mentioned contact member.

` 3. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a laminated magnetizable member provided with substantially parallel side bars of unequal length, a cross bar connecting said side bars, and arms extended from said side bars in different planes toward each other to overlap, a second laminated magnetizable member of like construction and having its longer side bar in substantially the same vertical plane as the shorter side bar of the first-mentioned member, means for magnetically connecting said magnetizable members, and an armature having its ends extended between the gverlapping arms of Said magnetizable memers.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a laminated magnetizable member provided,l with substantially parallel side bars of unequal length, a cross bar connecting said side bars, and arms extended from said side bars in different planes toward each other to overlap, a second laminated magnetizable member of like construction and having its longer side bar in substantially the same vertical plane as the shorter side bar of the rst-mentioned member, means for magnetically connecting said magnetizable members, a stationary frame secured to said magnetizable members, a frame surrounding said magnetizable membersv and pivoted to said stationary frame, an armature having its ends extended between the overlapping arms of said magnetizable members and connected with said pivoted frame, a contact member movable with said pivoted frame, and a Contact member supported by said stationary frame and with which the first-mentioned contact member coperates.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a laminated magnetizable member provided with substantially parallel side barsa cross bar connecting said side bars, and arms extended from said side bars toward each other, a second laminated magnetizable member of like construction arranged substantially parallel to the first-mentioned laminated magnetizable member, means for magnetically connecting said members together, an armature having its ends extended between the arms of said magnetizable members, and means movable with said armature.

-6. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a magnetizable member provided With substantially parallel side bars, a cross bar connectingsaid side bars, and arms-extended from said side bars toward each other, a second magnetizable member of like construction arranged sub-Vv stantially parallel to the .rstmentioned magnetizable member, means for magnetically connecting said members together, an armature having its ends extended Vbetween the arms of said magnetizable members, and means movable With said armature.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for 7. In an apparatus ofthe character 'described, in combination, an electric conductor, substantially parallel open frames of magnetizable metal through Which said con ductor extends and having poles, means for magnetically connecting said frames together, an armature cooperating With said poles, and means movable `with said armature.

In `testimony whereof, I have signedmy name to this specification.v l

KENNETH L. CURTIS.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D; C. 

